When the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were unveiled in Hollywood on Thursday, several major stars, including George Clooney and Ariana Grande, were surprisingly left out, sparking tension among industry observers. The event, scheduled for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, highlighted unexpected omissions that have already stirred conversations about this year’s selection process, with the focus particularly on the George Clooney Oscar snub.
Notable Absences Among Best Actor Nominees
George Clooney missed a best actor nomination for his role in Jay Kelly, where he played a Hollywood star much like himself, despite his high-profile status. Other prominent actors who did not secure a nomination in the male lead category included Jesse Plemons for Bugonia, Oscar Isaac for Frankenstein, Jeremy Allen White for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Daniel Day-Lewis in Anemone, Joaquin Phoenix in Eddington, and Denzel Washington for Highest 2 Lowest. Hugh Jackman was also notably absent for Song Sung Blue, although his co-star Kate Hudson earned a nod in the best actress category. Joel Edgerton, a key figure in Train Dreams, did not receive a nomination, though the film itself was recognized with four nominations, including best picture. Brad Pitt was overlooked for his performance in F1 but was credited as a producer in the best picture nomination.
Meanwhile, Michael B. Jordan earned his first Academy Award nomination for his dual role in Sinners, and Leonardo DiCaprio received his eighth nod for One Battle After Another. Timothée Chalamet, starring in Marty Supreme, became the youngest male actor to receive three best actor nominations at the age of 30, surpassing the record previously held by Marlon Brando.
The best actor nominees are Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).
Highly Competitive Best Actress Category Sees Several Snubs
The best actress lineup featured stiff competition, resulting in many well-regarded performers missing out. Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee), Julia Roberts (After the Hunt), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Jennifer Lawrence (Die, My Love), Tessa Thompson (Hedda), and Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby) were omitted from the nominations. Other significant absences included Julia Garner (Weapons), Dakota Johnson (Materialists), Jodie Foster (A Private Life), and Laura Dern (Is This Thing On?).
Among the nominees, Rose Byrne and Renate Reinsve each received their first Oscar nods for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Sentimental Value, respectively, while Emma Stone picked up her fifth acting nomination after having won two Oscars previously.
Best actress nominees are Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
Surprising Omissions in Best Supporting Actor Category
The Oscars overlooked many actors recognized by the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globes, such as Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Miles Caton (Sinners), Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly), Aidan Delbus (Bugonia), and Kevin O’Leary (Marty Supreme). Others absent included Josh Brolin (Wake Up Dead Man, Weapons), Idris Elba and Tracy Letts (A House of Dynamite), William H. Macy (Train Dreams), Jack O’Connell (Sinners), Andrew Scott (Blue Moon), Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man), Mark Hamill (The Life of Chuck), and Andrew Garfield (After the Hunt).
First-time nominees Delroy Lindo (Sinners), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), and Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value) were included on the list, joined by veteran nominees Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn, both returning for their work in One Battle After Another. Together, Del Toro and Penn bring seven nominations and three Oscars between them.
The nominees for best supporting actor are Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Delroy Lindo (Sinners), Sean Penn (One Battle After Another), and Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value).
Best Supporting Actress Efforts and Unexpected Drops
Rebecca Ferguson’s absence from the best supporting actress nominees for A House of Dynamite was among the most notable snubs. Other overlooked performances included Golden Globe nominee Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine), Odessa A’zion and Gwyneth Paltroe (Marty Supreme), Glenn Close (Wake Up Dead Man), Regina Hall (One Battle After Another), Hailee Steinfeld (Sinners), Mia Goth (Frankenstein), Jennifer Lopez (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Margaret Qualley (Blue Moon), Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague), Felicity Jones (Train Dreams), Laura Dern (Jay Kelly), Mariam Afshari (It Was Just an Accident), and Oona Chaplin (Avatar: Fire and Water).
Almost all the nominees in this category, except Amy Madigan (Weapons), are first-timers, indicating a shift toward new talent recognition.
Best supporting actress nominees include Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Amy Madigan (Weapons), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another).
Most Surprising Film Selections and Snubs in Best Picture
The snub of the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, It Was Just an Accident, stunned many industry insiders, especially since four of the last five Palme d’Or recipients, including acclaimed Oscar winners like Parasite and Anora, secured Oscar nominations. Equally unexpected was the inclusion of the Formula One racing film F1, which earned nominations only in editing, sound, and visual effects categories. Other crowd-pleasing films that were omitted include Avatar: Fire and Ash, Weapons, and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
The nominees competing for best picture are Bugonia, F1, Hamnet, Frankenstein, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams.
Best Director Nominations Feature Unexpected Omissions
Although Frankenstein gathered nine nominations including best picture, its director Guillermo del Toro was not nominated for directing, though he received an adapted screenplay nod. Other directors left out include Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident), Kleber Mendonça Filho (The Secret Agent), Zach Cregger (Weapons), Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia), Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice), Clint Bentley (Train Dreams), Richard Linklater (Nouvelle Vague, Blue Moon), Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite), Mona Fastvold (The Testament of Ann Lee), Mary Bronstein (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Rian Johnson (Wake Up Dead Man), Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind), and Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby).
The nominees for best director are Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet).
Best Original Song Nominations and Notable Exclusions
The trend of Hollywood creating new songs when adapting Broadway musicals continued, though it rarely results in Oscar wins. Stephen Schwartz, despite having two new Wicked songs on the Oscar shortlist, was not nominated this year. Other absent artists included Miley Cyrus (Avatar: Fire and Ash), Ed Sheeran (F1), Billy Idol (Billy Idol Should Be Dead), and Nine Inch Nails (Tron: Ares).
Diane Warren, however, secured her 17th Oscar nomination, maintaining her position as a perennial contender yet still seeking her elusive first win.
The nominated original songs are “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, “I Lied to You” from Sinners, “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdi!, and “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams.
Host and Ceremony Details
Conan O’Brien will host the 98th Academy Awards for the second time, although he, too, missed a best supporting actor nomination for his role as a therapist in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The ceremony is set to take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Impact of 2026 Oscar Snubs on the Industry
The reaction to this year’s Oscar nominations has been mixed, with tensions heightened by the absence of several prominent figures such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Ariana Grande. The George Clooney Oscar snub in particular underscores a shifting landscape in Hollywood, where historical star power sometimes yields to emerging talent and record-breaking films like Sinners. This shift may influence future campaigns and audience expectations as the Academy continues to evolve its recognition criteria, especially with the addition of new categories like best casting.
The announcement also raises questions about the relationship between critical acclaim, industry awards, and popular audience reception, especially given titles like It Was Just an Accident missing out despite top festival honors. The Academy’s choices this year indicate a possible recalibration toward both innovation and traditional prestige, which will affect Hollywood’s direction in coming years.
